Dog walkers urged to pick up mess on Fylde coast beach

Community leaders have appealed to dog owners not to leave a popular beach in a mess for Christmas.

Members Rossall Beach Residents and Community Group group and Wyre Council have said irresponsible people have been letting their dogs foul the beach which has been left in a terrible state.

They say the spate of droppings could be due to people driving to the beach front and letting their dogs out for exercise while staying in their cars.

They say it may also be due to an “urban myth” that it is legal to leave dog poo on the beach or fine because the sea will wash the shingle clean.

But today the council has warned that enforcement action will be taken against owners.

Jane Littlewood, from the residents’ group, said: “We look after the shingle beach from the cafe to Rossall school and a few of us went out yesterday to give it a spruce up before Christmas when we get a lot of families walking there on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

“We found a huge problem with dog fouling. This happens particularly when the weather has been bad, people let their dogs out for exercise on the beach but stay in their cars and cannot see where their pets do their business.

“The amount of mess was unbelievable. It makes the area look terrible to visitors and apart from that, there is the real risk of diseases.

“There is an urban myth that if a dog does a poo on the beach the sea will wash it away or there is no fine, but that is just not true. There is a £70 fine and we have spoken to the rangers and enforcement officers about this. We just want people to take ownership and have a bit of pride in the area they live in.”

A Wyre Council spokesman said: “People should always pick up after their dogs in public places, no matter where they are.

“It is not acceptable to think that on the beach, the tide will wash it away. Dog fouling affects both beach and water cleanliness.

“Any bin will do – you can dispose of dog waste in any litter bin and that includes taking it home. It is still not acceptable to litter the environment with dog waste.

“Sadly we do tend to see an increase in winter, when people think that nobody can see them.